You wouldn't even care about biodegradability had it not been for previous "philosophers" so there's no need to be glib. And who's to say the downstream effects

You wouldn't even care about biodegradability had it not been for previous "philosophers" so there's no need to be glib. And who's to say the downstream effects of this research don't lead to advances in areas you care about? Theoretical research leads to applied science which ends up in products. Remember that GPS is only possible thanks to relativity, and e-commerce only works thanks for number theory.